Charles a



(No Model.)

C. A. HUSSEY. APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RBPBODUGING- SPEECH N0. 259,397. Patented June 13, 1882 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. HUSSEY, OE NEINT YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HUSSEY ELECTRIC COMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSMlTTING AND REPRODUCING SPEECH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,397', dated June 18, 1882.

Application filed December 17, 1850. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES A. HUssEY, of New York, inv the county and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for Transmitting and Reproducing Speech, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements consist in a novel process oftransmitting and reproducing signals and ar- Ie ticulate speechhnamely, in establishing and maintaining a pressure of air, gas, or other iiuid in excess ot' the atmospheric pressure in a constantlyclosed tube or conduit, in imparting to said air, gas, or other tluid impulses from sound-waves, and in utilizing -said impulses for reproducing sound-waves ata distant place.

They also consist in the combination of a tube, means for establishing and maintaining a pressure et' air or other gas or uid in the 2o tubeinexcessofatmosphericpressure,andadiaphragm capable of avibratory motion for transmitting the impulses imparted to it through the tube to a receiver l'or reproducing the same at one end ofthe tube.

They also consist in the combination, with a tube of electric conducting material, ot' a diaphragm capable ot' a vibratory movement for transmitting the impulses from sound-waves through the same, and an electric telegraphic apparatus connected with said tube and utilizing it as a line-conductor.

They also consist in the combination ot' a tube for the transmission of impulses from sound-waves, diaphragms for transmitting the impulses from sound-waves through the same,

and coneentrators attached to the diaphragms for concentrating the effect ot' the sound-waves on the center of the diaphragms.

They also consist in the combination of a 4e tube for the transmission of impulses from soundwaves, means for establishing and maintaining a pressure of air, gas, or iiuid in excess ot' atmospheric pressure in the same, diaphragms or other things for transmitting the a5 impulses, and a gage for indicating the pressurein the tube.

The accompanying drawing represents a central longitudinal section of` an apparatus em` bodying my invention.

5e A designates a small tube, made preferably of metal and ot' any desired length. At each end is an enlargement or chamber. B, shown as ot' approximately-hemispheroidal form or bellshaped, and having fastened within it, at a shortdistancefrom its outer edge,adiaphragm, C. This diaphragm may be of thin sheet metal or any other suitable material, and may be secured between the outer edge of the chamber B and a cover, D, for the latter; but it is desirable that a small space should be left be- 6o tween the diaphragm and the cover to permit ofthe diaphragm vibratingfreely without coming in contact with the cover, and to allow of a free impact of sound-waves on the side of the diaphragm nextthecover. Caremustbetaken to make an air-tight connection by solder, a suitable packing, or other means between the diaphragm and the chamber, so as to prevent leakage from the tube and keep it constantly closed. 7o

E designates a mouthpiece arranged on the cover D, and made ot' any approved shape.

I maintain in the conduit A a pressure of air in excess ofthe atmospheric pressure, and the pressure may be created and maintained by an airpump, S, a steamactnated compressor, by heating or other means.

It will be readily understood that it one speaks into either ot' the mouthpieces E the impulses imparted to the air in the tube by the 8o diaphragm nearest the speaker will act upon the other diaphragm, and that the latter will, by having a corresponding motion imparted to it, set in motion corresponding sound-waves and reproduce the speech. The diaphragm upon which the speech acts compresses and thereby varies the pressure in the tube, and in that way affects the other diaphragm.

The air confined between the diaphragms serves merely as a means for transmitting' the 9o impulses exerted upon one diaphragm to the other.

I do not restrict myself to the use of air, as other gases and certain tluids may be found advantageous. Indeed I may prefer certain other gases, for the reason that it will be easy to maintain them at aprcssure in excess of that of the atmosphere by the action ot' chemicals and without manual labor.

I have shown a pipe, F, for connecting the roe v purposes.

f have adjacent poles of the same kind.

,tube A with the pump S, whereby the pressure of the air, gas, or uid within it is efected and maintained. Of course the pressure must not be so great as to interfere with the vibration of the diaphragms by sound-waves acting on their outer sides. Y n

A gage, G, of any suitable structure, capable ot' indicating pressures slightly in excess of that of the atmosphere, may be employed to facilitate ascertaining the pressure ot' air, gas, or duid within the tube, so that it may be maintained at the desired pressure.

It will be understood that each chamber B, with its diaphragm and mouth-piece, forms a receiver and atransmitting-i-nstrument.

If desirable, I may connect to each diaphragm a device which I term a concentrator,77 consisting of a disk, H, which is approximately of a size corresponding to the tube A. It is arranged opposite and close to the end of the tubecommunicating with thechamberB, which contains the diaphragm to which it is connected. It is preferably concave on the side next the tube, so that sound-waves impinging against it from the tube will have an eective action upon it, and Vit is preferably made convex on the side farthest from the tube, so that sound-waves impin ging against that side mayv move easily pastit. It serves, upon the impact of sound-Waves againstitsinner side, to concentrate the effect ofthe same on the central portion of the diaphragm to which it is connected. This apparatus ai'ords provision Ilot only for transmitting or reproduciu g articulate speech. It may be used for telegraphing by means of preconcerted signals-such as the Morse alphabct-given by tapping on` one diaphragm, or other means.

When the tube A is made of metal it may serve as an electrical conductor for operating au electric call-bell or signal, or for telegraphic I have shown it connected with a wire, I, designed to be connected to a dynamo-electric machine or a battery. I have shown, combined with these wires, an example of an electric call-bell. Kdesignates electro-magnets having portions wound in opposite directions with insulated wire, so as to L designates a polarized armature or permanent magnet, pivoted so as to vibrate toward and from the poles of the electro-magnets, and vibrate a clapper, M, against a bell, N. It will be understood that this particular kind of electric bell is designed for use with a dynamoelectric machine which produces reverse electric currents, orv a direct-current machine or battery having combined therewith a device for reversing the currents. Other forms may of course be used.

Instead of having a single tube, a system of tubes severally provided with mouth-pieces and diaphragms and means for coupling any of them together may be employed.

In order to attain the desired quality of the speech transmitted or reproduced, the active surface of one of the diaphragms may be varied in size relatively to the tube, so as to cause the sound-waves transmitted by the air, gas, or uid in the tube to act with more or less effect on it, or, in lieu of this, I may utilize levers in lconnection with pairs of diaphragms or their equivalents in the said chambers toattain the same result. This last improvement, as Well as the system of tubes and means for coupling them differently together, will form the subjects ot' other applications for Letters Patent.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The process of transmitting and reproducing speech, consisting in establishing and maintaining a pressure of air, gas, or other fluid in excess of the atmospheric pressure in a constantly-closed tube or conduit, iu imparting to said air, gas, or fluid impulses from sound-waves, and in utilizing said impulses for reproducing sound-waves at a distant place, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a tube, means for establishing and maintaining a pressure of air or other gas or iuid in excess of atmospheric pressure in the tube, and a diaphragm capable of a vibratory motion for transmitting impulses imparted to it through-the tube to a receiver for reproducing the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a tube of electric conducting material, of a diaphragm capable 0f a vibratory/motion for transmitting the impulses from sound-waves through the same, and an electric telegraphic apparatus connected with the tube and utilizing it as alineconductor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination ot' a tube for the trailsmission ot' impulses from sound-waves, diaphragms for transmitting the impulses from sound-Waves through the same, and concentrators attached to the diaphragms for concentrating the effect of the sound-waves on the center of the diaphrams, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of a tube for the transmission of impulses for sound-waves, means for establishing and maintaining a pressure of air, gas, or fluid in excess of atmospheric pressure in the same, diaphragms for transmitting theimpulses imparted to them, and a gage for indicating the pressure in the tube, substantially as specified.

C. A. HUSSEY.

Witnesses:

T. J. KEANE, FREDK. HAYNEs.

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